Shopping
by Yusagi
Summary: The Doctor takes Rose to a peaceful planet in the 31st century to go shopping for parts for the TARDIS. Rose wonders why he's so incessantly chipper. What secret does he know about the planet that she does not? Oneshot fluff DR


Disclaimer: Now, if I owned DW, you'd have gotten to see David and Billie act this out, rather than read about it, wouldn't you?

AN: All credit goes to SimbiAni for the inspiration of this fic. She wanted a ficlet around one of the quotes in Happy Feet.

* * *

_Shopping_

He smiled over at her, eyes crinkling like they always did when he would smile at her. He had been unusually sunny all day--and that was surprising, considering he did not often enjoy 'shopping trips'...even when it was for his dear ship, and not anything practical, like food. She allowed herself a slightly amused smile at the thought of his reaction if she had said that particular line of thought outloud.

"Isn't it lovely, Rose?" He asked, turning his gaze to imply the simple 31st century streets, bustling with all manner of hurried shoppers. "And best of all, there's nothing cataclysmic coming for at _least _a decade!"

She grinned at the Doctor a moment, and nodded, absently brushing a stray bang out of her face. "Are you sure about that this time?"

He frowned in thought a moment, before blowing air out through his lips in something of a huffing sigh, and shrugging. "_Well_...you never know...I could be wrong...doesn't happen often, but I _could_..."

"'Course, if anythin happens, its good to be prepared, yeah?"

He withdrew his sonic screwdriver wordlessly, and winked at her. "Never leave the TARDIS without it!" Dropping it back into his pocket, he reached for her hand with an enthusiastic sparkle in his eyes. "Now...lets get _shopping_!"

"Isn't that a bit too _domestic_ for you, Doctor?"

"What? Gettin' things for the TARDIS?" He looked genuinely surprised a moment, before his mouth quirked up wryly. "_Naww!_"

She laughed, and took his hand, following after. Maybe he was just this bubbly because he was so sure he was not going to be interrupted by a random galactic menace this time?

--

The hours slipped by rather quickly in a blur of travelling through seemingly arbitrary shops, as the Doctor searched for parts he 'could have swore were there just last decade'. Despite some mild frustration at having to back-track--and track again--all over the town for what he was looking for, he did not lose his sunny disposition for a minute. Rose was starting to wonder if she should be suspicious or worried.

At the moment, however, she was too occupied carrying a bag of odd bits and parts on each arm, and trying to keep up with her host, who had two each. Many more people milled about this area, and it seemed to be some sort of town square, with large speakers positioned all around it, pumping out some sort of jazzy tune. If Rose were to be perfectly honest...the music was starting to grate on her nerves. Yet, from the glimpses she got of the Doctor's face, when he would pause and smile back at her as she caught up, he seemed even more jubilant than before.

_What is he up to...?_

She did not get a chance to decide, before the music fizzed noisily out. Everyone seemed to freeze in place at once--not quite as wholly as in the parallel universe--and Rose barely stopped herself from running over her Doctor. A barking voice cut through the sudden silence, pronouncing something she could not quite make out--which in itself was quite odd, considering the fact that the TARDIS translated almost every language in the universe (or the parallel one she had visited).

In one fluid movement, before Rose could do more than open her mouth to ask what the voice had said, the Doctor let his bags crash to the street, and wheeled on her, arms encircling her, and pulling her into a warm embrace. No words of caution, no worry in his expression, just a sudden fierce hug, and a decidedly goofy grin.

"Doctor--what are you hugging me for?" She asked, confused, wanting to look around the square for some explaination, but finding it impossible to break his immensely cheery gaze.

"Why, Rose, didn't you hear?" He said brightly, indicating his head toward the speaker. "He told me to! Its a planetary tradition to hug the closest person to you exactly at noon--a peace measure."

Indeed, now that she managed to tear her gaze from him, she realized all of the others in the square were just now breaking away from hugs as well.

Her Doctor was not letting go. A warm flush crossed her face as she looked back at him. "Um...you can get off me now..."

"Aw...but you _liiike _it!" He taunted, hugging her closer, before adding in an utterly nonchalant tone, "Besides, you have to hug me back, or you could get the guards riled up."

She nodded slightly, fighting away her embarassment at the suddenness, and slowly eased her arms around him--sighing as she settled in.

"And that, Rose Tyler..." A voice meant only for her spoke softly in her ear. "Was worth five hours of mindless wandering, don't you think?"

She smiled finally, as his words dawned the answer to the question that had nagged at her all day. "Absolutely."

**END**

* * *

AN: Woo. That had to be my first bit of fluff. Soo...can't expect much, again:P

-Yusagi Sombermoon


End file.
